Before You Arrive

What is Caring House?

Caring House provides comfortable, supportive, and affordable housing for Duke Cancer Institute’s adult outpatients and their caregivers. It is a 12,900 square foot building that has 18 private rooms, each with its own private bath, phone, television, and DVD player. There is a fully equipped kitchen, a large dining room, a great room, laundry room, library with free computer access, screened-in porch, water garden with a koi pond, bird habitat area, rose garden, healing garden and vegetable garden. Patients are encouraged to bring a caregiver, which may be a spouse, other family member or close friend.

Who can stay at Caring House?

All Caring House guests must be 18 years of age or older, and must be receiving outpatient cancer treatment at Duke. Guests must be able to care for themselves or bring a caregiver who can help with the activities of daily living. All guests must be free of infectious conditions that could put other patients at risk. There is a limit of one room per family.

Is Caring House a Medical Facility?

Caring House is not a medical facility and does not provide healthcare support. Caring House is strictly a housing facility.

Can I reserve a room at Caring House?

All guests at Caring House are referred by oncology social workers or patient resource managers at Duke Hospital or Duke Cancer Institute. Unfortunately, a referral does not guarantee a room on a given date. Because current guests may stay as long as their treatment lasts (not always predictable), referred patients may have to wait anywhere from one day to six weeks before a room becomes available. A patient cannot be placed on the wait-list for a room until a confirmed start date for treatment has been determined. Previous guests who have stayed at Caring House within the previous year can make a reservation for follow-up visits or additional treatment at Duke by contacting the operations manager directly (919-490-5449). A referral is needed only if it has been more than a year since the last stay. For patient referrals, call your Duke oncology social worker.

Is there a waiting list?

There is almost always a waiting list at Caring House. When a room becomes available, the operations manager contacts the potential guest whose name is next on the list. It is, therefore, important for those who want to stay at Caring House to contact an oncology social worker as soon as they know they will need a room so that a referral may be made.

What does it cost?

The nightly fee is $40. Guests may request a financial assistance application from their social worker.